Electric action for organs.



J. T. AUSTIN.

ELECTRIC ACTION FOR ORGANS.

APPLIGATION FILED 1130.30, 1907.

Inventor J. T. AUSTIN.

ELECTRIC ACTION TOR ORGANS. APPLICATION FILED DBc.3o,19o7.

1,107,127. Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

C Joh/w T. /usm/ 5y www@ waff?A UNITED sTArpsrATENT orrron.

JOI-IN T. AUSTIN, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO AUSTIN ORG'AN COM- PANY, F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

ELECTRIC ACTION FOR ORGANS.

17 o ZZ affront 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Jenn T. AUSTIN, a citizen ot the United States, and resident of Hartford, in the county'ol' Hartford and Stale of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Act-ions for (,lrgans, of which the following is a tull, clear, and exact specitication.

This invention relates to improved means for arranging and operating electric actions for organs.

l `igure 1 of the drawings is a plan View, and Fig. is a side view of mechanism enr bodying the present invention. Fig. 8 is an end view in section taken on the line 3#3 of Fig. .1. Figs. -t and 5 are fragmentary side views, showing two ot the contact members in different conditions ot use, these views being shown in section taken on the lilies i and 5 respectively oi Fig. 1. Fig. G is a diagranunatic view, illustrating a method of wiring the apparatus shown in the previous figures. Fig. 7 is a plan view in enlarged scale of a portion of one ot the sliders, showing its detail construction more fully.

'lhe embodiment of the invention which is shown in the drawings contains provision for controlling and operating four different stops et an organ, represented by the four sliders 1t), 11, ,l2 and 13. lt will, however, be understood that any additional number of similar sliders may be used for controlling additional stops or couplers, all of which is determined by the\size ot" the organ, and especially by the number ot stops to be controlled. llach of the sliders referred to includes, or may include all ot' the notes of an organ stop, or of any musical series of notes. The sliders are provided with any suitable connections 14, leading to suitable draw stop knobs 18 or other well-known devices situated in av convenient relation to the keyboard of the organ, within the reach of the organist to unable him to draw on the sliders selectively. The sliders restside-byside, and are guided for longitudinal sliding movement, preferably by means ot rods 15, supported by the casing 1G on which the action is here shown to be mounted. These sliders carry a series contact wire 17, which preferably extends continuously from one end to the other of the slider and forms a contacting conductor common to all the noteconl'rolling devices ot the musical series ot notes represented by the slider. Hence these Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A110. 11, 1914.

Application filed December 30, 1907. Serial No. 408,501.

wires 17 will, for conciseness of expression, be herein designated as series contacts. The apertures 19 corresponding with t-he different individual notes of the series are spaced at suitable intervals along the slider, one aperture 'for each of the notes of the series. The series contact 17 is carried across each of these apertures, preferably traversing the slider from side to side at each aperture 19 as represented in Fig. 7. The branch circuits represented by these common or series contacts 17 are united in a single circuit by means of the plate 2O to which each ot the series contacts 17 is electrically connected by means ot a clip 21 and wire spring 22. The plate 20 is supported by a bridge piece 213 appurtenant to the casing 1(37. The springs 22 serve .to yieldingly hold their re` spective sliders in their upper or inoperative positions as shown in Figs. 2 and 5,each slider being provided .with stop blocks 21 and 25, or equivalent means, stopping against one ot the rods and serving to limit the stroke of the sliders. A battery wire 2G connects the plate with the battery B, from the opposite side of which a suitable wire 27 extends by suitable branches to the dili'crent note-sounding devices herein represented by the solenoids 30. These may be the primary magnetic or electro-pneumatic actions of, the valve operating mechanism for the pipes or other elements ot the organ. Many forms ot these actions are well known, hence they need not be more particularly described.

Each of the individual note-sounding devices represented by the solenoids 30 is provided with a movable individual contact 31,

which is situated in coactive relation to me,

common or series contact 17 of the slider, usually corresponding to the stop in which the said note sounding device belongs. These individual contacts preferably consist of flexible wires 31, each of which is set in and extends through the bottom ot the casing 16, as is best shown in Fig. 3,'the lower ends being held in place by the strips 32, and being wired in any convenient way to the solenoids or other note sounding devices. They may also be coupled or otherwise electrically connected as shown in lfig. (i, in which the wire 34 extends to a contact 31, representing av super-octave note, and the wire extends to another contact -lcorrcspending to the sub-octave note ot the particular contact from which they lead. In

this way any desired notes of any desired stops may be coupled in any desired combination. Any or all of the circuits may thus be modified or extended so as to sound in conjunction with a particular note, the sub or super octave of that note, either in the same stop, or in any stop.

The upper ends of the individual contacts extend upwardly through the of the sliders 10, 11, 12 and 13, which thus serveto confine the otherwise free upper ends of these individual contacts, holding each one in operative proximity to its coacting contact portion of the common or series contacts 17, as best shown in Fig. 7. The parts are so arranged that the sliders When resting in their ofl' position represented by the sliders 10 and 12, carry the individual contact wires to the position represented by the wires 31a and 31h of Fig. 5, in Which position they cannot be operated by the circuit closing devices, to be hereafter described. But when the stop sliders are drawn, as shown by the position of the sliders 11 and 13 in Fig. 1, the individual contact wires 31 occupy the position represented in Fig. 4, remaining out of contact with the series or common Contact 17, as shown by the contact 31, until the corresponding manual key or pedal key is operated, when it is moved to Vthe position occupied by the contact 31, contacting Witlrthe series contact 17.

The individual contacts 31 are selectively moved into contact with their respective connnon contacts 17, so as to effect the sounding of the respective notes, by means of circuit closing devicesa which in the present case consist of or include a set or series of cranked levers 38, technically known as rollers. These are herein shown to be mounted for turning movement in the casing 1G, being provided at one end with olf-set or cranked portions /39 which are engaged by the respective keys 40 of the manual or pedal or other action of the instrument.

The opposite ends, or any convenient portions of the rollers 38 are bent or cranked to receive4 the springs 41, by means of which the rollers are held in their off position, represented by the left hand rollers of Figs. 4 and 5, a suitable stop 42 being provided, preferably covered with felt, against which the crank ends 3U of the rollers are held by their respective springs. 'l'he portions of the rollers 3S which are adjacent to the individual contacts 31 are offset (Figs. 8, 4 and 5) and are provided with a suitable form of insulating cover to insulate them from the contacts 31. l prefer, particularly where the rollers are long, to employ a yoke or casing 455, preferably of wood, which, as shown in Fig. 3, embraces the offset portion of the roller and serves te stiften it to a considerable extent, besides forming an insulating cover, which may be still further proapertures 19 I tected and made noiseless by the use of felt strips 44.

rl`he eoacting pairs of contact points representing the corresponding note in the different series are preferably arranged in rows running transversely of the sliders, as indicated by the transverse relation of the dots representing the individual note contacts 31V in the diagram of Fig. 6. 1n this way each key 40 operates through its roller 38 to control the operation of the corresponding note in each of the stops which are drawn on, without affecting those stops which are left in their off positions.

The operation of this device is as fol,- lows: As illustrated by Figs. l, 4 and 5, the. stop sliders 11, being drawn, will occupy the position shown in Fig. 4, and-the stops 10 and 12, being left oth the parts will occupy the position shown in Fig. 5. While the keys 40 remain impressed the contacts 31 remain in the position occupied by the contacts 31 in Fig. 4, being clear from its coacting series contact 17. But when a key 40 is depressed, the rocking movement of the roller bends the flexible contact, as represented by the Contact 31d into contact with its series contact 17, thus ei'iergizing the corresponding solenoid 30 and causing the .sounding of that particular note in the two series or stops represented by the drawn sliders-11 and 13; while the corresponding notes in the series or stops represented by the undrawn or off sliders 10 and 12 will not be sounded on account of the fact that' the corresponding individual contacts 31 are carried beyond the range of the contactmaking movement of the rollers 38, as shown by the contact 31h of Fig. 5 and its associated roller. i ends of the flexible contacts 31 are confined, although loosely, in the apertures 19 of the respective sliders, they are kept apart from cach other and are maintained in coacting relation to their respective series contacts 17, even though the sliders should be moved laterally to a considerable extent. Hence these sliders may be very loosely mounted so as to slide with perfect freedom, thereby also avoiding the necessity of accurate or expensive workmanship in constructing and adjusting the various parts. The apertures 19 are herein shown to be circular, merely because this is a convenient form to make. 'lhese apertures may, however, be of any desired forni or contour. They may, if desired, be extended longitudinally of the sliders, so as to avoid moving the upper ends of the contacts 31 when the sliders are in the oll1 position shown in Fig. 5, thereby leav ing those contacts 31 resting against the rollers 43, as shown by the dot-and-dash line in Fig. 5, in which the series contact 17 would still be out of contacting relation.

would necessitate bending This, however',

lnasmuch as the upper so i' lili) every contact 31 of a transverse Series Whenever the key for that note is operated, and this in the case of a large number of notes might impose undue or uneven resistance to the key action. Hence, for most purposes, I prefer to move the contacts 3l away from the circuit closing rollers .43, as shown in Fig. 5, when the stop sliders are moved to their oft' position.

For convenience as Well as definiteness in the description and claims, the term series contacts is herein employed as referring to the conductors 17, which, in the specific form herein shown and described, are common to the series of notes or note sounding devices controlled by the respective sliders l0, 11, l2 and 13. Thus the term series is used, not in its strictly technical sense in the electrical arts, but in its more ordinary signifi-- cance as relating to a row or set or series of notes or note-sounding devices which are connected or associated in a musical or mechanical sense. The term transverse series asherein employed refers to a row or series of the individual contacts 3i arranged transversely of the general direction of the Wires 17, including., as exemplified in they drawings, any transverse row of contacts 31 operated by a single circuit closer 38.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, in electric actions for organs, of an electric circuit having a pair of contacts one of which is exible, a notesounding device arranged in the circuit, key operated means for bending the iexible contact against the other contact, and means for moving one of the said contacts out of contacting relation to its associated contact.

2. The combination, in electric actions for organs, of an electric circuit provided with a pair of contacts, one of which is iexible, a note-sounding device arranged in the circuit, key-operated means for bending the flexible` 'contact against the other contact, and means for moving the said other contact out of the range of the normal contact closing movement of the flexible contact.

3. The combination, in electric actions ior organs, of a plurality of note sounding devices arranged in branch electric circuits, a pair of contacts in each branch for the respective note sounding devices, including a fiexible contact, means for selectively closing a branch circuit through its pair of contacts by bending the said flexible contact, and means for moving one of the members of each pair of contacts out of contacting relation to its associated contact.

4. The combination, in electric actions for organs, of a plurality of note sounding devices arranged in branch electric circuits, a pair of contacts in each branch for the respective note sounding devices, each branch being provided with a pair of contacts, including a flexible contact, means for selectively closing a branch circuit by bending the flexible contact ofL that branch, ail :l means for moving the other contact of that branch out of contacting relation to it-s associated flexible contact.

5. The combination, in electric actions for organs, of a plurality of series of notesounding devices arranged in branch electric circuits, a iexible contact in the branch circuit of each of the note sounding devices, a series conductor having contacting surfaces disposed in proximity to said flexible contacts for that series, key operated means for selectively bending the iiexible contacts of the respective branches against their coacting contact surfaces of the series conductor, and means for moving the said conductor to carry its contact surfaces out of the range of the said bending movement ci its associated flexible contacts.

6. The combination, in electric actions for organs, of a plurality of series of note sounding devices arranged in branch electric circuits, a exible contact in the branch circuit of each of the note sounding devices, a series conductor for each of the series' of note sounding devices, having contacting surfaces disposed in proximity to said flexil ble contacts for the respective series, key operated means for selectively bending the ilexible contacts of the respective branches against their coacting contact surfaces of the series conductors, and means for selectively moving any of said conductors to carry its contact surfaces out of the range of the said bending movement of its coact ing flexible contacts.

7. The combination, in electric actions for organs, of a series of note-sounding devices, an electric circuit `)rovided with branch circuits including a exible contact for each of said devices, a movable conductor in the circuit arranged in contacting relation to all the said contacts, means for selectively bending the said contacts .into contact With the said conductor, and means for moving the :said conductor into and out ot normal circuit closing relation to the said flexible contacts.

i 8. The combination,- in electric actions for organs, of note-sounding devices for a series of notes, an electric circuit provided with branch circuits for the said devices inciuding a lexible cont-act for each device, a. movable conductor in the circuit arranged in proximity to the said flexible contacts, means for selectively bending the said flexible contacts into contact With the said conductor, and means for moving the said conductor into and out of normal contacting relation to the said iexible contacts.

9. The combination, in electric actions for organs, of note-sounding devices for a musi cal series of notes, an electric circuit provided with branch circuits for the said devices comprising a flexible Contact for each device, a conductor forming a series contact common to all of the said flexible contacts, means for selectively bending any of the said flexible contacts into contact with the said conductor, and means for moving the Contact making portions of the said series contact out of normal Contact relation with the said flexible contacts.

l0. rl'he combination, in electric actions for organs, of note-sounding devices for a plurality of series of notes, an electric circuit provided with branch circuits for the said devices, including an individual flexible contact for each of said devices, movable contacting conductors, one for each of the said series, means for selectively binding into contact With their respective conductors the individual contacts for the same note in the several series, and means for selectively moving any of said conductors out of their normal contact-making relation to their respective individual contacts.

l1. The combination, in electric actions for organs, of a plurality of series of note sounding devices arranged in branch electric circuits, a series conductor for each of the series, each conduct-or being provided with a. contact surface for each different note in its series, the said circuits being provided with a flexible contact for each note, disposed in proximity to the respective contact surfaces of the series conductors, key operated means .for selectively bending the said flexible contacts against the respective Contact surfaces of the series conductors, and means for selectively moving any of the said conductors to carry its contact surfaces out of the range of the said bending movement of its associated flexible contacts.

l2. The combination of note-sounding devices for a plurality of. musical series of notes, electric branch circuits for controlling` the said devices, including a series contact member for caca musical series, common to all the note-sounding devices of that series, an iinlividually movable contact for each note, a series of circuit-closing devices one for cach note common to all the note-sounding devices for that note in each series, and means for selectively moving` any of the said seri-es-cbutact members into and out of' contactinci` relation to its coat-tina' series of individually movable contacts.

i3. The combination, in electric actions 'for orfgans, of a note-soundingr device, an electric, circuit therefor, ay movable member provided with an aperture containing coactinfr circuit-closing contacts of the said circuit. one of the said contacts being appurtenant to the said member and the other contact being flexible and loosely confined in said aperture.

lt. The combination, in electric actions for organs, of a note-sounding device, an electric circuit therefor, a movable member provided with an aperture having exposed therein a contact portion of the said circuit, and a flexible Wire projecting loosely through the said aperture, and forming a coactirrc contact .for the said portion.

l5. 'l'he combination, in electric actions for organs, of a note-sounding device, an electric circuit therefor, a flexible contact for the said circuit, a movable member having a enacting contact of the said circuitmounted thereon, and having an aperture for confining the said flexible contact in proximity to the said coacting contact.

1G. ln an electric action for organs, a note-sounding device, an electric circuit therefor, a pair of coacting contacts for opening and closing the said circuit, one of the said contacts being a free ended flexible wire, means for selectively moving both the said contacts and means for confining the free end of the flexible wire in operative proximity to its counting contact.

li'. The combination, in an electric action for organs, of a note-sounding device, an electric circuit th afefor, coacting contacts including a flexible contact, means for supporting and moving the said contacts and means for loosely incompassing and confining the said flexible contact in operative proximity to its coacting contact.

1S. The combination, in an electric action for oceans, of a note-sounding device, an electric circuit therefor, an individually flexible contact in the circuit, a coacting contact in the circuit provided with a draw Stop connection, means for loosely confining the flexible contact in proximity to its coacting contact, and a key-operated connection for bendingthe flexible contact to close the circuit.

lf). The combination, in an electric action for organs, of a note-sounding device, an electric circuit therefor, provided With two coact-ing contacts for opening and closing the circuit, one of said contacts being,r flexible, a key-operated connection for bending the said flexible contact to close the circuit, and means including a draw stop for moving` the other contact out of the range of movement of the said flexible contact.

Q0. The combination, in an electric action Corrections in Letters Patent No. 1,` 07,12?.

'intr the slider lvieldingly in one of its posi tions.

SH, '.lhe conbinatioin in electric actions ter organs. otl a pluralityY ot series of note- .mamlnn devices, an electric main circuit having a branch circuit tor each of said series. each branch circuit including` a seriescnnact eonnnon to all the note-sounding devices ot' that series, and separate individual contacts for those devices, movable. members for separately supporting the respective series contacts of each branch, a spring in each branch mechanically and electrically connected between the series-contact of that branch and the main circuit, and means for selectively movingthe said members whereby the series contact of any series may be moved into and out of contacting relation to the individual contacts of its series.

The combination, in electric actions for orfrans, of a plurality of series of note- [sean] sounding devices, an electric main circuit'l coinprisumy a brauch circuit for each of said series of devices each branch being)r a series contact 'for the devices in its series, a movable member tor each series supl'iortinj` the said series contact for that series, a spring for each of said movable members mechanically and electrically connecting the seriescontact of that member with the main circuit, and means acting in opposition to the respective springs for moving their respective movable members into, their electricall;7 operative positions relative to the branch circuits. In testimony whereof I have signed my i name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN T. AUSTIN. litnesses J osErI-I MnnnIT'r, VM. H. Homes.`

Itis hereby certitied that in Letters Patent No. 1,107,127, granted August. 11,

1914, upon the application of John T. Austin, of Hartford, Connecticut, tor an improvement in Electric ActionsI for Organs, errors appear in the printed specitication requiring correction as follows: Page 4, line 17, for the word "binding"r` read Lending; saine page, line Q5, for the word incompassing" read en@unipr/asino; page line 68, for the compound Word circuit-common read circuits mum/fm;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent OHice.

Signed and sealed this 20th day of October, A. D., 1914.

J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Uommssz'owr of Patents. 

